Note: Soo, I had a lot of fun writing this one... and I hope you have fun reading it! I've got one last chapter to go and four days to write it. Considering the fact that I've posted, what, 3 chapters in one week, it should be easy... except I'd like this to end really well, so perhaps I'll take a little more time. After all, chapter 18 does play a critical part with tying into a "follow-up" *hint hint!*

There's probably no point in trying to drop hints. It'll be obvious enough in the next update haha (:

Chapter Seventeen – Ad Astra (To The Stars)

-Addie-

"I still can't believe you're making me do this."

"Oh, chill. It's not the end of the world. It's the total opposite—you should be excited for this!"

"Yeah. I'm thrilled."

I was sitting at Arianna's short, wide dresser in front of the giant mirror that complemented it. Beauty products were scattered across the surface in such a colorful mess that it gave me a headache. At the moment she was holding a scalding professional curling iron so close to my scalp I could feel its heat. I watched nervously as the steam raised upward, probably the ghost of my hair. I'd already complained that she was killing it but she said it was simply the hairspray.

"Gosh, it's like you've never styled your hair before," she'd commented.

I had frowned and retorted, "You know I have. I've just never burned it." And then she'd rolled her eyes.

About half an hour ago, I'd arrived here at her house thinking I was going to help her and Kylie get ready for prom. She'd surprised me by striding over to her walk-in closet and pulling out not one but two dresses that were concealed within their garment bags. After asking if she was just going to choose between them, I'd suddenly realized that one of them was for me.

I eyed it now as it hung on the door leading to the bathroom. Unlike Kylie's and Arianna's, it was short, not falling past my knees. I had to admit, they'd done a good job picking it out for me. Though I was never one for things too girly, almost every bit of the dress brought out something in me and my personality. The number was "cherry blossom pink," as the brand described it, and strapless with a fitted bodice that sparkled pink and gold. Instead of being tight-fitting, the layered mesh skirt flared out lightly, but definitely not enough to pass for a tutu.

Arianna had even somehow gotten my parents in on the act. Mom had gone out while I was at school to buy a pair of glittery gold pumps to match, and beautiful jewelry. It irked me a little that they did this, especially behind my back, but if I had to be honest with myself… I was kind of pleased. I might've been skeptical about the whole prom thing but a tiny part of me was insisting that I don't miss out… no matter how much I felt that it was incomplete.

I sighed as I waited patiently for Arianna to curl the next half of my head. I'd gotten real used to slowness. After last weekend's disaster, the whole week had gone by unbearably slow. Most of everyone at school had heard about the house fire and for the first few days, I'd had to deal with their apologies and offers. It was kind, I knew that, but I probably would have been more tolerant if I wasn't constantly on edge. Ben had finally come to me with good news—no, great news. The CIA had found Alex in Mexico along with the double agent we'd all thought was dead; however, I wasn't allowed to know all the details and though I didn't know why, it didn't matter to me. What I was concerned about was that Ben had said that I couldn't see Alex for a few days. There was all the business with letting him stay at the hospital—which I'd argued that he should be able to have visitors—and debriefing him about what had gone down after he'd been kidnapped.

And now I was wondering what was taking so long. I'd spoken to Ben every day and he told me the same thing: "Not yet, Addie. I'll let you know when he can see you again." It was painful, partly because Alex was like… well, a painkiller. No one at school besides Kylie knew that part of why I was so quiet was because I wasn't yet done grieving David. I was hoping that seeing Alex would numb me for a little bit.

Kylie walked out of the bathroom, striding over to Arianna's bedside table to turn up the volume on her iHome. Gwen Stefani's voice filled the room and she danced her way over to us, grinning widely. She'd flat-ironed her hair so it flew around her face in pin straight strands. "She's looking gorgeous!" she announced to Arianna. Her hand stretched for my curls but Arianna smacked it away with a scolding look.

"You know what I just realized?" I asked, looking at myself in the mirror.

"That I'm so right and now you really wanna go to prom?" Arianna teased.

I grimaced. "No. But I'm getting there."

She just laughed.

"I'm gonna be the odd one out," I protested, frowning at the image in my head. "I'll be the… what, ninth wheel?"

From the closet, Kylie called, "I can be your date, too! Randy will just have to share."

"And you know I'll dance with you too," Arianna reassured me, patting my shoulder.

I just crossed my arms, biting my tongue. My three best friends and Andrew Walsh, along with their dates, had planned a dinner reservation for Fleming's Prime Steakhouse before prom. Of course, they'd asked for ten seats instead of nine. Someone, meaning Arianna, had anticipated a certain somebody else to be my date and was totally flabbergasted when I told her that he had to go back to England. For a while, she'd muttered on about how ignorant and dim-witted some boys could be. I'd been too tired to argue that it wasn't his fault—according to me, his school had insisted that he come back if he wanted to attend college.

Arianna seemed to sense what I was feeling. "I wish he was here, too, hon. But just you wait. I know almost every guy will have his eyes on you tonight. Just not mine."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. As crazy as she was, she always knew how to make me feel better.

It didn't take that much longer for us to get ready. Once Arianna had finished with my hair, running her fingers through it to loosen the curls into waves, she allowed me to do my own makeup since I was "at least pretty good at that." Kylie was finished before us, complete with her long, sapphire blue dress that brought out her eyes and the tan she'd gotten from Florida. Unsurprisingly, Arianna was only half-finished with her hair by the time I got my own dress on.

Standing in front of the tall mirror by her closet door, I scrutinized my image. If I looked hard enough, my right leg still looked in desperate need of a good kickboard workout. Luckily there were no visible bruises or scars on my skin… unless you really strained your eyes. The gold necklace and bracelet Mom had bought looked delicate but I found myself really loving them. And the shoes! It was a wonder that my doctor hadn't restricted me from these five-inch nightmares.

"You look beautiful, Dee," Kylie said, stopping next to me to admire herself.

"And so do you," I answered with a smile. Then I tilted my head, turning this way and that to examine my image. "Are you sure it's not obvious that my poor leg is suffering through atrophy?"

"Positive." She nodded and then made a show of squinting. "Only if you narrow your eyes a little… and, you know, tilt your head sideways and cover your right eye. Maybe wear a pair of sunglasses."

"Oh shut up," I laughed, swiping at her arm.

Twenty minutes later, I was climbing out of the rented limo, trying not to step on Arianna's dark red train. Hoisting the thin chain on the small gold clutch I had onto my shoulder, I shut the door and followed after my friends. We were right at the entrance of Fleming's and the rest of our party was already here. They'd all gotten dropped off by parents and were going to hitch a ride with us in the limo to prom. I plastered a smile onto my face as everyone greeted one another, complimenting and gushing over gowns and suits.

"Hey, Addie," Derek greeted, giving me a friendly once-over. He was looking dashing in a black and white tuxedo. His date, Jenna, stood at his side smiling politely, looking elegant in a purple gown. "You look amazing."

"Thank you." I grinned. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "It's really too bad you didn't come with Rider. I thought you guys would be each other's date."

I sighed. "Why does everyone think that?" Really, it made me curious to know what exactly was running through my friends' minds these days.

He shrugged. "It seemed like you two were really into each other. Even Jenna's noticed and you guys only share one class."

Jenna grinned, nodding quickly. "Oh yeah, I've noticed all right."

"Really? Is there something I don't know about that goes on in art class?" I joked.

"You have no idea."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay," I replied, pretending to blow it off.

We laughed together and followed after the rest of the group that was entering through the restaurant's double doors. We were greeted with a lobby lit by soft, warm light and delicious smells that made my stomach grumble. I hadn't had a steak in a long time and I yearned for a New York strip. Arianna met the hostess at the stand and exchanged a few words. As I gazed around the place in curiosity, I caught some of the conversation.

"We only have nine guests," Arianna was saying, "but I made a reservation for ten."

"That's fine. We can just leave the chair for you if you want," the woman answered, pulling out a handful of thick menu books.

"Actually…" Something in her tone made me look up. My best friend was beaming at me and I swore I saw a twinkle in her eye. "Yeah, we'll need that seat." I frowned, wondering what she was talking about. Reading my expression, she nodded at me, looking pointedly somewhere behind me.

I turned around like everyone else, searching the area outside the doors. A black car had pulled up to the curb but from where I stood I couldn't catch the make or model. The thing that did catch my eye was the familiar blond head leaning down to talk through the window to the driver. My heart stuttered once and I was conscious of many pairs of eyes on me. Without a moment's hesitation, I brushed past Derek, not bothering to mumble an apology. I pushed on the doors of the restaurant and let the cool evening breeze wash over me.

Alex straightened up and turned, and it was an odd but overwhelming feeling, the relief mixed with elation that enveloped me. In one moment I was admiring how handsome he looked in the sharp black tuxedo and bowtie, and then in another, I was throwing myself at him.

With my arms around his neck, the familiar clean scent of his was subtle, convincing me that he was really there. Calmness spread over me and made me forget momentarily why I was here in the first place. But this was exactly why I needed him with me: everything about him was not only irresistible but he was like an anchor or a lifeline. I couldn't help but feel… better.

Reluctantly, I pulled back to look at him. I could see the faded marks of brutality on his skin, especially on his jaw where an angry pinkish one was healing. Though it hurt to see him battered, I was only too glad that he was alive. "You're here," I breathed, feeling a smile stretch onto my face. "You're alive. You're okay."

"Of course I am," he chuckled, grinning. "You didn't really think I'd let you face prom alone, did you?"

I could only grin in response.

"Hold on," he said and turned back to the car. A moment later he was holding a clear plastic box with what looked like flowers. Looking more closely, I realized that it was a corsage the exact shade of my dress.

I felt the heat rise in my face as he smiled and took it out, putting it onto my wrist. There was a second box that contained his matching boutonniere. Unlike him, I had difficulty pinning it onto his lapel due to my shaky fingers.

He laughed softly and helped me with it, the skin of my hands tingling where he touched them. Once it looked perfect, I stepped back to admire him. Before I could compliment him, he said, "You look absolutely stunning, Addie." I noticed that he was staring at me.

Another blush crept under my cheeks at his smile but I managed to keep my composure. "It's all thanks to Arianna and Kylie… and my parents." I grinned. "Anyone else that contributed," I added, waving the hand with the corsage.

Alex returned the grin and stepped to the side to speak to whoever was in the car. "Thanks, Ben!"

"Ben?" I leaned down and saw the familiar face grinning at me from the driver's seat. "Ben!"

He laughed, "Hey there, Daniels. I gotta say, you look amazing tonight."

I smirked. "Thanks, Daniels. A little warning might've been nice though." I nodded my head towards Alex who was chortling next to me. I rolled my eyes.

"I figured a surprise might be better," Ben answered, shrugging.

"So who got you into this? My mom?"

He gave me a sly grin. "You could say that. Well, don't let me keep you. Eat a good steak for me. I'm the medium-well kind of guy."

We bid him goodbye and stayed there for a minute at the curb. One glance told me that Arianna and Kylie were watching us from the lobby but everyone else was nowhere to be seen. Arianna wore an expression of suspicion while Kylie seemed to be hiding a smile. I took a deep breath and reached for Alex. "I'm glad you came… and that you're okay."

He squeezed my fingers, swinging our entwined hands back and forth. "Me, too." Then he asked, "What about you? Are you doing alright?" His voice was soft as his eyes searched my face.

I shook my head. "I'm better now that you're here," I assured him.

There were so many questions on my mind about what had happened, but I knew that they could wait. Even for just one night, I could lock it all away temporarily so I could enjoy what was supposed to be one of the highlights of my high school experience. It didn't even bother me that much while we joined the rest of our group that even if the worst of it seemed over, there was still one of the worse parts yet to come… because the last thing on my mind was saying goodbye.

"Ugh, I think I've eaten enough to last me a lifetime," Alex groaned. "Perhaps we'll hold off on the dancing."

I rolled my eyes for probably the thirty-seventh time that night. Thirty-eight, and I was bound to have a pair of googly eyes for the rest of my life.

"Don't worry," I told him as the limo pulled in front of the hotel . "We can get a few dances in and call it a night."

The Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel is in Arlington near the Washington, D.C. area. It sits among the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Pentagon City, along with other historical sites and museums. It's the one of the several hotels who see the countless number of tourists that is eager to see the White House or catch one of the wine tours of Virginia. I'd never been in it but I immediately approved of the prom committee's choice as we entered it.

As our group gathered with the other suits and gowns of satin and chiffon at the top of the spiral stairs leading to the prom, I turned to Alex. "Tell me again how you've managed to get us tickets when you technically aren't a student here anymore?"

I knew I wasn't the only to notice that; several students were looking at us and nudging one another, probably wondering why Alex was now showing up to school. It was the same exact thing Arianna had questioned. Alex had lied smoothly, telling her that his flight had been messed up the other day and that the principal was allowing him to attend the prom before he left. Actually, I had no idea when he really was leaving and he'd never mentioned it. At least not yet.

He just shrugged, putting an arm around my waist. "I have ways," he answered simply.

The large room that hosted weddings and other events was overflowing with the "Written in the Stars" theme. Dark blue, lavender, and white were featured as balloons, streamers, and banners that clung to the yellow-gold walls. There was even a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. The lights reflected off its many facets, bouncing around the room in sparkles and verging on a headache-inducing light show. The heavy bass of Rihanna thumped through the floor from the DJ's equipment up front and sent vibrations through my bones as our group broke off into different directions. There was a mosh pit of high school students on the dance floor and the elegant tables and chairs were grouped at the sides. A few other classmates and friends waved and said hello and I returned the greetings, suddenly aware of Alex right next to me.

"You're not a big fan of dancing, are you?" he had to shout into my ear.

I laughed and shook my head. "Never was. It's not like I have bad coordination but I don't know. It's not a huge deal."

The song then morphed into a slow acoustic, one that I instantly recognized as Howie Day's "Collide." Somehow it struck me as strange that they would play this but I barely had time to say so aloud; Alex was already pulling me away from the tables and towards the dance floor. I hate to put it this way, but there really were butterflies in my stomach as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he placed his hands on my waist.

A long moment passed as we listened to the song, the other couples swaying around us in broken but slow rhythms. Sooner or later I looked up at him and found that his eyes had lost all their seriousness and were filled with something else I couldn't put a name on, something close to grief.

Automatically I reached for his face, stroking my fingers gently across his cheek. "Is everything okay?"

In the back of my mind I knew that it wasn't, not entirely, but I ached to know what was making him look so upset.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, smiling.

"Not really," I confessed, shaking my head. "Am I wrong and imagining things?"

It was his turn to shake his head. "No. I'm just thinking."

He said no more and I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. My eyes strayed towards the mark on his jaw and I frowned. "Does it hurt badly?" I realized that he could've been more injured than I was. The thought made me feel guilty.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

Ignoring him, I leaned forward (the heels had given me the extra height to be only an inch shorter than him) and brushed my lips lightly onto his jaw. "Better?" I asked.

He knitted his eyebrows together in deep thought. "Not really." I was thinking up something witty to say when he pressed his mouth against mine, holding me closer by the small of my back. Several long, blissful seconds passed as my heart sped, fueled by the adrenaline surging through me. Despite my stronghold on his neck, he pulled back to grin at me. "Much better."

I smiled at the abrupt enthusiasm in his eyes.

We danced for the rest of the song, ultimately going back to the tables to meet up with Kylie and Randy. Neither of us let go of each other, keeping our hands entwined as the four of us chatted and nibbled on the snacks the other couple had brought over. I noticed that ever since Alex had arrived, Kylie hadn't stopped eyeing us but not in the same way Arianna did. I'd almost forgotten that she knew I was a CIA agent and Alex (sort of) worked for MI6. It wasn't until they went off to dance to Black Eyed Peas that I decided to bring it up.

"I've been meaning to tell you…" I began.

"Should I be scared?" he asked, smirking.

I shrugged. "Actually, I don't know." That made him stop, the grin slipping from his face. "Kylie stopped by last Sunday. I… well, I explained to her everything that happened with Mather." I waited, watching as he processed my words.

"Even about me?"

"Yes."

He frowned, scooting his chair closer to mine. "Did you think I was going to be mad at you?"

Sighing, I avoided his gaze, fingering the cloth napkin on the table. "Kind of, I'm not sure. I know you've told your friends about your past and I decided I'd do the same… It kind of just came out and I honestly didn't give much thought about keeping your secret—"

Alex shook his head. "I don't mind, Addie. In fact, I'm glad you told her. It doesn't look like she's left you yet."

I pursed my lips and agreed, "You're right."

"Besides, it's not as if I don't trust her anyway. Though I was wondering why she's had her eyes on us all night," he mused, looking towards the dance floor. "I had a feeling it didn't have anything to do with you and me in particular."

"You noticed?" I asked, my eyebrows shooting up. And then I smiled embarrassedly as he gave me a look. "Forgive me," I said with mock servility. "I forgot with whom I was speaking." I bowed my head.

He just laughed and rolled his eyes.

The first hour of the dance passed quickly in dancing, food, and conversation. No one else asked anything that Alex couldn't lie about, to my relief. The only time I left his side was when Derek wanted at least one dance with me and luckily (though to my ego's disappointment) Alex willingly complied. Arianna snatched him up at that moment and while I was worried that she'd interrogate him, they seemed to end up having a good, friendly time. After that, I was glad to be with him again while we hung out with other friends in the corner.

"I might need you to take me to the hospital after this," I grumbled as I shifted my weight onto my other leg.

He stared at me. "Why?"

"Because I'm gonna need an amputation!" I glared pointedly down at my feet where the gold heels sparkled in the lights.

We laughed together and I laid my head on his shoulder with my arms around his torso. His hands rubbed my back soothingly as I thought about bringing up the much dreaded subject I'd been avoiding.

"So when do you leave?" I asked quietly.

There was a pause and then I felt him sigh. "I should've left on Thursday," he explained. "The CIA insisted I leave as soon as possible and Mrs. Jones wants to see me. However, I spoke to Ben and while he managed to help me out with tonight, he got our flights booked for Tuesday."

I nodded. "That's our last day."

"Yeah. Our flight leaves mid-afternoon so you and your parents will be able to see us off… only if you'd like to, of course."

I heard the teasing tone in his voice. "I wouldn't miss it," I said matter-of-factly, hugging him tighter.

"And I know you want to know what happened last weekend," he added softly, pulling back to look at me. "I promise I'll tell you tomorrow. Ben's already notified your parents that you all will be briefed at headquarters."

"Where exactly have you two been staying?"

"The CIA got us a room at the Courtyard Marriott."

I just nodded again. I was starting to feel out of place here and I knew exactly why. Surrounded by people that only knew half of me, I was once again wishing that I could hide behind closed doors. Before Alex had arrived, it was the opposite: I'd been itching to immerse myself in everything at the CIA, working assignments as often as four times a month. Now, as I thought about aspects that didn't concern being a secret agent like college, things were becoming different. Even David's death was contributing to that.

But tonight wasn't supposed to be about any of that. Even if I was being selfish, I was going to be selfish and make this one happy, unforgettable night.

I stepped away from Alex, unwinding his arms from me. He looked confused at first but I kept his hand, tugging him towards the dance floor. "Come on, Alex Rider. I want one last dance."

Note: Yay! Sorry, I'm a sucker for romance, especially in literature. I tried my best not to go over-the-top cheesy.

Anyway, a few chapters ago, I was listening to my iTunes and Avril Lavigne's "Fall to Pieces" came on, practically sparking this brilliant idea: if I had to choose a song to represent certain things, what would they be? It's pretty irrelevant, I know, but I'm as addicted to music as I am to writing and I thought I'd share this with you.

So I figured "Fall to Pieces" is a perfect song to describe Addie's feelings for Alex. Then I heard Howie Day's "Collide" and thought, Maybe that'll be Alex's song for her. And so I realized that Avril's "Slipped Away" is also quite the fit for Addie and her brother Joshua. (I don't know, it seems like Avril Lavigne just has a lot of Addie-type songs.)

I didn't choose these based solely on their lyrics; while listening to the actual music and voices, I could really see how well they fit with the situation.

But yes, enough about that. Random thoughts. Review please! I thank you again for your amazing support.